Thill-coupling.



A. C. LEASURE.

THlLL COUPLING.

APPLLCATION FILED SEPT. 11. m5

1,176,376. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

. s A a gimme/whom HQLEHSURE Bron.

ALFRED CAREY LEASURE, 0F ALVIN, COLORADO.

j Turns-cont nue.-

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t 2 Application filed September 11, 1 915. SrialNo. 50,130.

lron. to prevent rattling of thesame in'theshackles of the coupling clip.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a thill coupling in which a spring is provided, the spring performing the double function of preventing rattling of the thill, and also forming a locking device for preventing accidental disengagement of the coupling bolt from the device.

With these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in the novelconstruction,

combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. in which Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section illustrating a thill coupling constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device as disclosed in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 13 a rear elevatlonal vlew of the device as herein set forth.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the front axle of a vehicle to which the usual clip 2 is connected, the clip being provided with the threaded legs 3 which receive the fastening plate 4, the plate being secured against the under face of the axle bythe nuts 5. The clip is provided with a pair of forwardly extending transversely apertured shackles 6, which receive therebetween the eye of a thill iron 7, and one of the legs of a U-shaped coupling bolt 8 is passed through the apertures in the shackles and the eye of the thill iron to pivotally connect the thill iron to the axle.

A flat spring 9 is provided, the spring being bent upon itself at one end to form loop 10, the loop being engaged below the inner end of the thill iron to bear against the same, the body portion of the spring and the backwardly bent end thereof extending upwardly between the thill iron and the body of the clip between the shackles thereof, the opposite end of the spring extending across theclip directly above the same. The other leg of the bolt is disposed between the body portion of the spring and the backwardly bent end thereof.the last mentioned leg being provided with an annular recess 11 adjacent its end. the reduced portion being of substantially the same lengthas thewidth of the spring plate, so that the spring and the backwardly bent portion thereof engage in the reduced portion of the leg to prevent accidental disengagement ofthe bolt from the shackles of theclip and the eye of the thill iron. A lever 12 is provided, one end of the lever having oflset flanges 13 formed on its oppo-' site edges, each of the flanges being formed with a plurality of openings 14, the openings in the flanges being disposed in transverse alinement, and mounted in the outer most pair of the openings is a pivot pin 15 to which the free end of the spring is pivotally connected. The opposite ends of a U-shaped link- 16 are mounted in one pair of the openings inwardly of the pivot pin, the

intermediate portion of the U-shaped link being engaged with the nut 5 which secures the rear end of the plate 4 to the axle.

In the practical use of my device, when it isdesired to connect a thill iron to the coupling, the lever 12 isin open position, and the eve of the thill iron is disposed between the shackles 6 of the clip so that the eye registers with the openings in the shackles. When the eye is in this position, the U-shaped bolt is'positioned so that one leg thereof passes through the apertured shackles and the eye and so that the other leg of the U-shaped bolt is disposed between the backwardly bent end of the spring and the body portion thereof in a position so that the spring and backwardly bent end thereof engage in the reduced portion of the bolt. The lever 12 is then swung so that the same rests upon the spring above the axle, and in swinging the lever to its locked position, it will be seen that the looped portion of the spring is drawn upwardly to tightly engage the eye of the thill iron to prevent rattling of the same and that the spring and backwardly bent end thereof are tightly engaged in the reduced portion of the bolt so that that the looped portion of the spring will PI'GVEl'lli moving of the spring upwardly between the eye of the thill iron and the body Y portion of the clip. When it is desired to remove the thill iron from the clip, upon moving the locking lever to open position, the link 16 may be readily disengaged from i the nut 53, so as to loosen the engagement of the spring from the reduced portion of the bolt, whereby the same may be quickly moved from engagement with the shackles and the eye.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to secure and claim by Letters Patent'is V A thill coupling comprising a clip for attachment to an axle, said clip being provided with spaced shackles, a thill iron having an eye formed thereon and disposed between said shackles, a U-shaped locking bolt having one leg thereof disposed through said shackles and the eye of the thill iron, a curved spring engaged over the top of the clip and having one end thereof returned upon itself to form a loop, said loop being disposed between the shacklesof the clip to bear against the under portion of the eye of the thill iron, a lever pivotally connected to the opposite end of the spring, and a link connected to the lever for engagement with one of the ends of the clip, the other leg of the locking bolt being positioned against the clip 'abovethe shackles and between the intermediate portion of the spring, and the free end portion of the returnedpart of the spring, the intermediate portion of the spring being above the second leg of the In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 7 signature in the presence'of'two witnesses. V

7 ALFRED CAREY LEASURE.

Witnesses:

W. C. BURNS,- EDWIN L. PALMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing thefcommis sioner of Patents, 7

Washington, D. C. 

